Battlefield of Love
by Seven Malfoy
Summary: Some people believe in 'Happily Ever After'. Ginny Weasley was one of those people. Unfortunately the heart doesn't always listen to what the mind tells it. Series of related drabbles written for the Monthly Het-Tastic Drabble AThon). Written from the viewpoint of those whose hearts just won't obey sound logic or the dangers of being in love with the wrong person.
1. Blood

Prompt #52 Blood

Blaise/Ginny

Written for the Monthly Het - Tastic Drabble A Thon.

* * *

They were not made for each other.

Hell, in this environment, they shouldn't even be speaking to one another.

But blood had brought them together, and blood would keep them apart.

He found her on the Seventh floor corridor, bleeding and nearly passed out. He had been doing patrols, made Prefect after Draco was pulled from school. He knew the schedule, knew she had just come from Dark Arts, which met after dinner for Gryffindors because of exactly this. He had a feeling that the whole lot of them, the blood traitors who were hiding, were probably doing so up here somewhere.

Blaise was not an idiot. He knew there was a hidden room up here, knew that it was up here where Potter's little group had met during 5th year, and where Draco had brought hell to Hogwarts in 6th.

Finding hidden blood traitors wasn't a part of his job description. His job was supposed to be keeping his head down, agreeing with whatever drivel came out of the person-in-charge's mouth and staying alive and able to have children by graduation.

Bleeding Sixth years were not supposed to be a part of the equation. Especially bleeding girl-Weasley shaped ones.

He knew basic field medicine. It would be enough to keep her under the radar and out of the Infirmary. He was the last student patrol of the night that night. Knowing that he could not return her to wherever she had come from, he took her to another room that was well hidden. His.

He tended her wounds that night, and she slept like an angel. Pale skin offset by fiery red hair.

It took her the better part of a month to trust him while not dying. While she found his motives self-centred, he found her overwhelmingly noble.

But they didn't do what they were doing because they agreed with each other. It was because they were tired and found in each other an outlet for frustration and tension that could not be released otherwise.

None of her friends would touch her, because they felt it was betraying Potter. He didn't care about Potter. Dimly, some part of him hoped Potter would win, but not the part of him that enjoyed snogging his semi-girlfriend. And Ginny was beautiful. In another life he would have made a play for her properly, instead of kisses, and later shags, in the broom closet.

But she was a blood traitor. In this environment, that was death. He would find himself on the wrong end of the Dark Lord's wrath for being involved with someone who was so close to Potter. He was already playing a dangerous game.

But if Potter won, he would come back to claim his prize, the fiery redhead who set everything inside Blaise aflame. She made even the miserable existence under Snape and the Dark Lord bearable.

But she was a blood traitor. Everything he could not have and could not desire.

That didn't stop him from wishing he could be brave, just once, and go for what he wanted instead of what everybody expected of him, blood be damned.

* * *

Official Word Count: 522

Very inspired to write the other sides of this story and turn it into a mini-collection.


	2. Missing

Written for the Monthly Het-Tastic Drabble-AThon Competition (November)

Same Universe as Blood

Prompt #97 Missing

* * *

Harry tried not to hear the whispered conversation that he knew was about him from the bunk below. Being in the forest like this was hard enough, not knowing which way to go, who to turn to, and unable to parse out any more clues. He didn't need the stress of his friends not trusting him anymore.

Instead, he blocked out their conversation and took out the Marauder's Map. He tried to track down a familiar name…

And he couldn't find her.

Where was Ginny?

His heart pounded and pounded, as he combed the map for her, eager to know why Ginny was missing.

For nearly two hours Harry sat on his bunk, eyes tired but concern overwhelming the need to sleep as he looked over the map again and again.

Harry eventually passed out, map spread in front of him. So he missed when Ginny finally reappeared on the map, on the third floor, at the exact same time as Blaise Zabini.

* * *

Over the next few months things got rougher, but Harry never stopped checking the map. Sometimes Ginny would be there. More and more often, however, she would be missing. She would be gone from the map completely. Eventually there came a time where he would find her gone from the map more times than he would find her on it.

It pained him, after all they went through, between Ron leaving and the Snatchers. Ginny's disappearances plagued him more than anything else. Was she ok? Being tortured? Worse?

It wasn't until they broke into Hogwarts that Harry found out the DA had been sleeping in the Room of Requirement, which didn't show up on the map. He figured that was where Ginny had been. However, that night things happened quickly so he never noticed that her corner of the room was missing; her bunk long overtaken by the others who hid in the room as a refuge.

The Battle was fought and won. The wounded and dead were converged in the Great Hall. Ginny had been there when he chanced to look, mourning over Fred's broken body. Harry had gone around, talking to many until the weight of it all became too much. He looked around for Ginny, hoping to have a private moment alone with her where he could show her properly how much he missed her.

But she was missing.

He shrugged it off, thinking that perhaps she needed the same thing he did, some quiet time alone.

Two hours later she was still missing, and try as he might, he could not find her. He found Luna, who gave him such a sorrowful look before offhandedly mentioning the Headmaster's office that it threw him off. So he found Ron and Hermione and went up, learning Dumbledore and Snape's last secrets.

Even then, Ginny was still missing. But as worry turned to dread she showed back up, walking into Gryffindor tower just as he was leaving. He didn't notice that her shirt was on inside out, or that her tie was missing, he was just happy to have found her again.

* * *

Word Count: 516

Harry/Ginny with Ginny/Blaise


	3. Night

Prompt #6 Night

Ginny/Blaise

* * *

She knew it was wrong, she knew there would be terrible consequences for both of them if what they were doing ever saw the light of day.

It was why they always met at night, she supposed. She barely remembered when he first met her. She remembers him healing her, his gentle touch, how after that his harsh words and sneers contradicted the look in his eyes.

It was night when she heeded his summons, picking her way down to his private room. She didn't trust him then, and she said nasty things to him. He in turn said equally nasty things to her.

It was a night, a week later when she found herself drawn to his room, frustrated and lonely. She thought she could vent her frustrations on him. It had made her feel better before, venting her anger and frustration onto him, knowing he could give as well as take.

The first night they kissed was the first night they didn't argue with each other. She slipped down after her last class, made sure nobody was looking and slipped into his room. She was tired of the constant talk of war and battles. She didn't want to talk at all, just be held again. He walked in an hour later, looking worse for wear. She crumbled at the sight of him so she stood up and opened her arms, inviting him in. He saw her and stared for a full minute, seeming to battle against something before he stalked across the room. His eyes were full of something she could not quite identify, before he too opened his arms and pulled her in.

They sat on his chair for most of the night, talking of silly things that had nothing to do with anything. Finally she stood, knowing it was close to when she would be missed from the Room, but he held her hand down.

"Stay here tonight." He whispered. He pulled her over to the bed and she glared.

"Don't you think you're being a bit forward?" She asked.

He chuckled darkly. "I don't have plans of ravishing you, Ginerva. Not unless you want me to."

She smiled, but could not deny the fire his words set inside her. Instead she allowed herself to be pulled to the bed and onto his lap.

"Tonight I just want to hold you. See if you can keep the nightmares away." His dark eyes locked onto hers, and she felt herself falling.

The kiss was gentle, filled with a tenderness she was only recently discovering he possessed, much different from Harry's hungry, needy kisses. She could feel herself being drawn into Blaise, a push and pull of being understood by someone forced into a destiny not of their own making.

"I'll try" she whispered back. They didn't do anything but kiss that night, but every night she could after that she was in his arms, in his room, giving herself to him.

The night Harry returned in a blaze of power and glory she looked for her Blaise.

"You'll leave me and return to Potter, won't you?" he whispered. His eyes betrayed his pain.

"The night is ours, love." She replied.

He leaned in to kiss her, and she wished the night would never end.

* * *

Word Count 547


	4. Unbelief

Harry/Ginny

Prompt #23 "I don't believe you!"

* * *

Harry smiled at Ginny, who was talking excitedly about plans the group of them had for Hogsmeade weekend. They were all back at Hogwarts, which was surreal. Still, he made it, and was taking his Seventh year.

The castle was extra-full, with students who were supposed to be finished with Hogwarts returning. Some were returning because it was cathartic, like returning to the scene of a crime to prove that the place itself was not evil. There were many years with a healthy mix of older and new students.

Harry spared a look at the Slytherin table. It was the house where fewer students returned. They always walked in groups together, afraid that the other students would take revenge.

Pansy Parkinson was stealing glimpses his way, and he frowned slightly. Parkinson had changed a great deal since trying to sell him to Voldemort, most of it because of her mother's death at the hands of her rogue Death Eaters. Still, he didn't know what she wanted with him.

There was laughter and he realized Ginny was telling a joke. Ginny was awesome, and he was happy to have her back.

Seeing that it was nearly time for class, the rest of the group got up and went off to prepare. It was Care of Magical Creatures, the one class he had dropped in favour of remedial Ancient Runes. As the hall began to empty out a shadow fell across his plate.

"Potter, a word." It was Parkinson. What could she want with him?

A couple of minutes later and they were alone in an empty study room. She cast privacy spells, stating them aloud for his benefit.

"I've been watching you, Potter. You're besotted with that Weaselette."

"You needed to cast privacy spells to tell me that?" Harry asked.

"No. I needed to cast privacy spells because I have to tell you what she was doing while you were off saving the world."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Shagging Blaise Zabini." The petite Slytherin replied.

"I don't believe you" Harry responded. "Ginny wouldn't do that to me. She waited for me, she told me."

Parkinson rolled her eyes. "Why would I pull you into this room to lie to you? You saved the world. I'm just trying to save you. Save the embarrassment and heartache of finding out later, when it's too late."

"I don't believe you" Harry repeated.

Parkinson shrugged. "Fine. Marry her. Pretend she's the Guinevere to your King Arthur. But don't forget how that story ends."

Harry snorted. "That's not a fair comparison. I don't believe you. Ginny's an awesome girl, she'd never do that to me. She waited."

Parkinson shrugged, twirling her wand. "Believe what you will, Potter. Just because you Potters are the epitome of honour that does not mean it will hold true for Weasleys."

"Why bother?" Harry asked suddenly. "Why tell me?"

"You're a mess when you're depressed. The world can't handle someone with as much power as you have love-scorned." Parkinson replied. "I've done my duty. I've got to go."

Parkinson left, leaving Harry to shake his head at the whole thing.

But there was a nugget of truth to her words that bothered him.

WC – 537


	5. Destiny

Prompt #100: Destiny

Written for the Het-Tastic Drabble-Athon Challenge (November)

Ginny/Harry

Everything she had done her entire life came down to this moment. It was destiny that Harry defeat Voldemort, and destiny that meant she would wed the Boy-Who-Lived.

She strongly believed in destiny, even if reality made it difficult. She loved Harry, but she also loved another man. Her heart was torn, so she went with what made sense.

In all the stories, the princess is rescued from the dragon by a prince. Then they get married. Destiny. Harry rescued her from the basilisk, which was close enough to a dragon. So that meant they were destined to marry.

It made sense in her head. Harry was the prince and she was the princess. Never mind that life was not really a story like she had been told when she was little.

They were Destiny. Her marrying Harry equalled 'happily-ever-after'. Even the princess must have been afraid, but Destiny would not be denied.

So as Ginny walked down the aisle towards Harry, she kept telling herself that it was Destiny. Nothing she could do or feel was going to change it. The people who wrote the story cast her as the princess, so she had to follow her destiny.


	6. Basket

Prompt #44 Basket

Harry/Ginny

"I want everything to be perfect, Kreacher." Harry instructed.

"Yes, sir." The elf responded, taking out a larger than normal basket as he began dashing around the kitchen, working around Harry as the two of them prepared the picnic. At first Kreacher had been adamant that Master Potter-Black not do any cooking, but eventually the elf began to understand that it was not a slight at Kreacher's service, but a release of tension for Master Potter-Black who helped him fulfil Master Regulus' orders.

It was Ginny's birthday, and Harry was going to surprise her with a nice, quiet, romantic picnic, and maybe a shiny bauble or three.

They'd been married for just about a year now, and Harry could admit he was afraid he wasn't doing enough for Ginny. He cared about Ginny and didn't want to mess the marriage thing up.

Four hours later, full and happy, picnic basket nearly empty and completely forgotten, he leaned back on his elbows as Ginny sighed into his chest.

"That was a wonderful surprise Harry." She smiled down at the diamond tennis bracelet adorning her arm.

"Happy birthday!" Harry smiled, breathing in the strawberry scent of her hair.

"Thank you Harry."

The couple sat like that, watching the late summer sun as it sank below the horizon.

Later, as dusk settled and Ginny showed her appreciation by wearing only the jewelry he got her for her birthday he thought that perhaps he did have this marriage thing all sewn up.


	7. Disagree

A/N

So the drabble challenge I was writing this for ended. But the story must go on. (Stupid plot bunnies). From here on the chapters will be a little longer, but it's still a short story, and various chapters will still be a part of my next challenge.

* * *

Harry slammed his fist into the wall, angry at himself.

Ginny was bored and lonely. All they seemed to do lately was bicker. First it was about Quidditch. She wanted to play, he had no problem with that, but she wanted to move up North to do it. The problem with moving North was that he was Teddy's godfather, and he didn't want to make the same mistake Sirius had in abandoning the young Lupin when he needed a strong male figure in his life.

The next fight was about the olive branch he had been giving other Slytherins and non-marked supporters of Voldemort. She thought they should all rot, while Harry believed in justice and second chances.

They bickered constantly about how they went to Molly's every weekend for dinner. Harry worked all week and wanted the weekends to relax. He liked being left alone, while to Ginny Sundays were made for spending with her loud and boisterous family. Harry didn't mind the major holidays, but only having one day of peace and quiet a week was not nearly enough for him to recharge his batteries.

Despite all of that, he did like being social in controlled settings. Ginny called him hypocritical, but Harry felt he was being reasonable. He loved the Weasleys, but they were his family. He was an adult; he wanted to be able to be social without his _wife. _She felt like she was perfectly in her rights to do whatever she wanted, but anytime he wanted to go out and it didn't involve a couples date with Ron and Hermione or going to the Burrow she was suspicious of him.

The most recent argument was about exactly all of those things bunched together. They had gotten an invite to a Yule party being hosted by Draco and Astoria at Malfoy Manor. Harry knew that Narcissa would be there as well. None of the other Weasleys had been invited. Ginny had not wanted to go from the start. She didn't mind going to large Ministry galas, but the idea of the smaller confines of Malfoy Manor, surrounded by purebloods and ministry officials irked her gourd.

Worse in her mind was the fact that the party was set for the Sunday before Yule. He knew the Weasleys made a big deal of the week leading up to Yule as being 'Family Time', but lately all it did was call attention to the fact that he and Ginny had not started trying to have children yet.

That was another bitter pill. Part of Ginny's 'boredom' was he wasn't exciting enough in bed. He didn't know what she wanted of him, but it led to more and more nights with them sleeping on separate ends of the bed. He'd gotten to the point where he wasn't even sure she wanted him anymore. He still had the natural reaction any male would have at seeing her bare bum, but the connection he had felt from her was gone, like he'd used up all of her reserves and there was no more. It had been more than two months since they'd even tried to be intimate. He got more involved in work, and she was on the Harpies practice squad. They barely ate dinner at the same time, and she always seemed ready to find an excuse to be 'away' during weeknights, only to show up ready to put on a performance for her parents and brothers.

She was gone again, after this last fight. He knew that Ron and some of the others would blame him. 'Why was he trying to mess with tradition?' they'd ask. 'Why did it have to be Malfoy's party?'

Harry wanted desperately to make this marriage thing work. Was it really him? Hermione and Ron didn't seem to have these problems, neither did Hannah and Neville. So what was so wrong with him and Ginny that after such a short amount of time things had gone so wrong?

They had barely been married two years. Was this what being married was supposed to be like? Fighting like cats and dogs behind closed doors, but putting on the 'prettyhappycouple' face around others? He didn't think it was, but he dare not ask, because he didn't want to seem weak.

They'd come up with a solution, and maybe he'd have to miss another event, miss out on more allies in the Wizengamot. They already thought he was snubbing them because he had yet to attend an event because it was always on a weekend and always interfered with something Ginny had planned. Soon Neville would be the only one left.

Maybe he was being unreasonable.

If only they could talk about their disagreements without it turning into a shouting match for dominance.

Maybe. One day. If Ginny came back tonight. He could fix her favorite dinner, she used to like it when he cooked for her.

* * *

Harry sighed. It was almost midnight. The salad he made had gone limp, preservation charms only lasted so long. The chocolate and strawberry mousse he prepared was back in the cold box, and the roasted chicken breast had gone cold. He didn't like using charms on food he was going to eat, it changed the texture too often. The risotto had congealed hours ago. Overall it had been a depressing sight long before he gave up on the hopes she would return that night.

Harry didn't even have the heart to eat his own portions, and went for a roast beef sandwich using leftovers from Tuesday's meal. He cleared the table, throwing the wasted food away and salvaging what he could. Sighing again, he went upstairs to get into bed.

The roses he purchased, not conjured, still lay on her dresser, but the bath he had drawn using her favorite bubble bath and massage oils had gone cold. He drained the tub while changing into the sleep set he wore for the drafty nights.

He went to sleep hurt, but with the hope that he would wake up with Ginny in bed next to him.

He had no such luck.


	8. Home

#17 Home

Ginny/Harry

* * *

Ginny returned to the house she shared with Harry two days after the fight about the party. Luna had been kind, but honest. They had to compromise. It could not just be about what she wanted. Harry had been broken from the night his parents died, and it was unfair for her to try and strangle out the independence he so desperately needed, the independence the rest of them had grown up being able to express. He wanted to be his own person, and if she wanted her marriage to work she would need to let him be who he wanted to be.

When Ginny returned she was resigned, different. Harry didn't ask where she had gone, he was only glad to have her back. She decided to make it work. She stopped secretly taking birth control potions and they both made efforts to talk like rational people instead of letting their emotions get the best of them. Resolved to a fresh start, they set about making the home cozy for the holidays. For too long the manor felt more like a house they both happened to live in, rather than a home they hoped to build a lifetime together in.

They bickered again, from time to time, but she didn't leave home again like she would have before. They started taking Sundays off from visiting the Burrow, and she saw the change in stress level. He was happier, more relaxed.

As winter moved into early spring, she went out for the first time and planted flowers. She planted roses mostly, but all sorts of flowers. Harry started a small herb garden, and together they made plans for a nursery they hoped to need soon.

As she stood in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on Victorie's birthday cake, she finally felt the warmth she had missed, the warmth that drove her to visit the Burrow instead of her own house. This place, this towering testament to the Potter legacy, was home.


End file.
